Betrayal

Burnett recalled the scene that had just left him in awe; this girl had actually managed to execute Elven Swordsmanship.

He had spent his entire life studying it, and it was only after becoming a formal mage that he could truly claim to have mastered Elven Swordsmanship.

Judging by the girl's performance, while the range of her directional shifts wasn't as wide as his, Fran had only just begun learning Elven Swordsmanship!

He could tell that Fran had not known this style before, yet after a few practice rounds, it was as if she had suddenly had an epiphany and mastered it.

"Can you tell me, do you have Elven blood?"

He thought this was the most logical explanation; how could a human possibly compare to an Elf in Elven swordsmanship?

Possessing a fraction of Elven blood, even without the physical traits, might have preserved the key characteristics required for learning, allowing Fran to grasp Elven Swordsmanship so rapidly.

"Uh... I'm not really sure..."

Fran herself did not know who her parents were, having grown up in an orphanage without any information regarding her lineage.

However, she also knew that when she was learning the Elven Swordsmanship just now, it was no different from anyone else; she hadn't found any sudden inspiration.

Her skill level had simply increased, and she had suddenly mastered it; it likely had nothing to do with Elven blood.

But since someone was offering her a graceful way out, she might as well go along with it—why insist on claiming to be a once-in-a-millennium genius?

"Then, do you feel like you can sense something, yet you can't quite put it into words?"

"I do, it appeared suddenly just now."

"That's it, then. That is one of the characteristics of the Elven race."

Burnett then continued:

"I know you have refused before, but I will ask one more time: would you like to join the Sword Chant School now? I can instruct you in Elven Swordsmanship."

Fran responded as before:

"I apologize, Teacher Burnett, but I would like to see what other schools are like before making a decision."

Burnett looked slightly displeased and said with a hint of regret:

"That is a pity. I thought I might have been able to mentor another apprentice capable of reaching the top ten this year."

"I appreciate your kindness, but my mind is made up. I am sorry."

Fran was careful to show him enough respect, and a smile gradually returned to Burnett's face.

Burnett then pulled Aboyue up and said to the two of them:

"Now that you have settled the outcome, I hope your conflict ends just like this match. Do you understand?"

Aboyue hung his head, his hand still clutching his side where he had been struck, his expression extremely grim.

He knew he had lost, and he had lost the bid for Burnett's private tutelage as well.

When the opponent was stronger than him and had a better relationship with the teacher, what could he possibly use to compete?

He had never dared to refuse Teacher Burnett's guidance in the past, yet Fran had rejected it flatly, and Burnett hadn't even taken offense.

He had lost—thoroughly and completely. If Fran joined the Sword Chant School, he would certainly no longer be the one receiving Burnett's focused cultivation.

At this point, no scheme could possibly succeed; Fran and he were no longer on the same starting line.

"Yes... I... I am very sorry for having... a conflict with you."

His voice was strained with pain, his words coming out in stutters.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have struck so hard."

Hearing Aboyue's stumbling apology, Burnett accepted his attitude, attributing the lack of clarity to his injury.

Though Fran remained expressionless, she offered her own apology.

"Very good. I hope you will not fight again..."

Burnett's tone grew stern, a habit born from his many years of teaching.

Most disputes between apprentices were merely minor frictions and conflicts.

Private brawls were often just a sign of hot-blooded youth, with neither side willing to yield; in such cases, he had to intervene personally to stop the conflict, which usually yielded good results.

Burnett then dismissed the crowd, telling them to wait for the next lesson to begin.

"That Fran beat Teacher John, and now she's beaten Aboyue. I think our Sword Chant School might produce another top-ranked student this year."

"But didn't she refuse to join the Sword Chant School?"

"Are you stupid? With her swordsmanship and high physical stats, plus the fact that she can cast a few spells, where else could she possibly go besides the Sword Chant School?!"

"What if she really is just like that?"

"If that's the case, I'll do handstand laps around the dormitory area three times."

The group of apprentices, seeing that the matter was resolved, walked away while discussing the battle they had just witnessed.

Aboyue, enduring his pain, sat on a chair, waiting for the agony to subside before he attempted to walk again.

He knew his only remaining chance of victory was to gamble on the hope that Fran truly would not join the Sword Chant School.

Although he knew it was impossible, he still sincerely hoped that Fran would join another school.

Only then would he have the chance to receive guidance from Burnett, obtain more resources, and achieve better results in the assessment.

"Hm?" He saw something that puzzled him; Ren walked over to Burnett, who was still tidying up his things, and whispered a few words to him.

Then he saw Burnett's expression change as he began to reprimand Ren, but after Ren said a few more words, Burnett brought Ren over toward his direction.

A bad premonition arose in Aboyue's heart, and sure enough, Burnett's first sentence made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Aboyue... you have disappointed me too much. You don't need to attend this class anymore. Leave!"

Aboyue looked at Ren with an expression of disbelief, and he still wanted to struggle as he said:

"I didn't... Teacher, I didn't do anything!"

Burnett clearly did not believe his words and said directly:

"You don't need to say anything more. I will not keep someone who frames their peers. Ren has already told me everything."

Aboyue gritted his teeth and endured the pain as he walked out; he knew that his last chance was gone, even if Fran hadn't joined the Sword Chant School.

He knew that if Ren had spoken up directly, Teacher Burnett would never have believed him, but now that he had been the one to clash with Fran first, and after Fran had gained Burnett's appreciation, he was very likely to believe it.

Ren watched Aboyue's retreating back, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The reason he backstabbed Aboyue was that he estimated Aboyue might not give him what he wanted after the scheme failed.

And if he backstabbed Aboyue, then without Aboyue as his greatest obstacle, he could offer a slight apology and, after gaining Burnett's forgiveness, still have a chance to strive for Burnett's focused attention. Meanwhile, Aboyue, his greatest obstacle, would have no such possibility; he had both disappointed Burnett and made him loathe him.

Aboyue looked back at Ren, who wore a faint smile, his lips seeming to say:

"To become an official mage, this is how it must be done—using every possible method."